Network attached storage (NAS) devices from Synology, QNAP, and FreeNAS, among many others, are a popular choice for on-prem storage. These NAS devices are cost-effective and easy to implement. But it’s not always easy to completely integrate NAS devices into the rest of your IT environment. With many IT organizations, integration is achieved by using LDAP authentication for both NAS devices and Samba file servers, allowing them to completely control user access.

This post will go further into the benefits and challenges of NAS devices, along with how to setup LDAP authentication and how to simplify this using LDAP-as-a-Service.

When to Use On-Prem Storage

A critical component of the IT network is storage of files and data. While there are many parts of the IT infrastructure moving to the cloud, some components have requirements that force them to remain on-prem. Depending on your storage needs, your organization may be better suited by a cloud or on-prem solution. Cloud storage solutions such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box are popular for a reason. They’re highly functional in most environments. However, there are a number of common use cases where on-prem storage works better.

One of the benefits of on-prem file servers is the ability to quickly access large files, like video files. There is a decreased cost of bandwidth because there isn’t a need to transfer large files to and from the cloud. Plus, users don’t need to wait for long downloads or uploads. Another benefit of on-prem NAS file servers is their ability to meet regulatory requirements. Many organizations are required to store records and data, or have confidentiality requirements. NAS devices can be a cost-effective mechanism to support these requirements.

Challenges with NAS devices

For these reasons and others, NAS devices remain popular within modern IT environments. The challenge for IT admins emerges when they try to completely integrate access to data hosted on the NAS device, as well as ensure that data is secure. Often the way that this occurs is by connecting the NAS device to the core identity management platform that the organization leverages. For (Read more...)

Jon Griffin

Jon Griffin works as a writer for JumpCloud, an organization focused on bringing centralized IT to the modern organization. He graduated with a degree in Professional and Technical Writing from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and is an avid learner of new technology from cloud-based innovations to VR and more.

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